My summer of cooking though a farm subscription of seasonal produce...and trying to invent things that my kids will eat!

Monday, July 4, 2011

Pool Party Pizza

I'm a little late to add this one. The 4th of July weekend has been busy, busy, busy! But, I did have a chance to do a bit of cooking on Friday night. It was pool party pizza night!

On Friday nights I don't often cook. We usually go out for pizza or some other type of tasty food. There are so many incredible restaurants in Marquette, it's hard to choose. But Friday night was different this week. It was hot, I was comfortable sitting in my backyard, and we had a fridge full of cold beer. Why go anywhere?

I almost always have ingredients for pizza on hand because it's a relatively quick, healthy (really it is!), and kid friendly meal. So here's pizza- my style:

Pool Party Pizza:

One large pre-made whole wheat pizza crust. For the locals, the co-op sells one that is excellent!

(and/or) 3 pieces of whole wheat pita bread

I usually make one large adult pizza on the big crust, and make a mini pizza for each of the kids on a pita bread. That way, the kids don't have to be subjected to our obsession with jalapeno peppers. The third mini pizza is all mine for lunch the next day.

Brush each of the crusts with a thin layer of olive oil and a sprinkling of Penzey's Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle and Italian Herbs.

Start with:

One large can of organic pizza sauce. The large can is enough for all 4 pizzas.

3 small onions-from the bucket

kale and braising greens- from the bucket (pre-steamed in the rice cooker)

sliced mushrooms

1 package of pepperoni (I like Applegate Farms nitrate free)

I purposely hide those things under the cheese so the kids don't see them and pick them off

Then add one bag of shredded mozzarella cheese. One bag is just the right amount for the pizzas.

Top with:

sliced roma tomatoes

a few chopped leaves of fresh basil- from the bucket

crumbled feta cheese (this is what makes the pizza awesome!)

jalapeno peppers

Bake at 425 degrees for about 12 minutes, or until the cheese is slightly browned. Enjoy!

Before Cooking

The mini pizzas

After (I wish you could smell it! Mmmmmm!)

So, there's the pizza. Where's the pool party? The pool party was in our backyard. We didn't even sit down at the table! We ate on the back porch while the kids cooled off in their kiddie pool. Along with the pizza, we enjoyed a fresh salad with lettuce, sliced radishes, and buckwheat sprouts fresh from the bucket. See the blog archives for the dressing recipe.

Eating outside is so much fun!

The pizza was a hit with the kids, and the dog.

Bryce is saving some for later. Austin is trying to get in on the action.